Self Sufficiency
Raising Guineas To Protect The Rest Of Your Poultry
Every homesteading family should have a flock of guineas – even though they will never eat them or a single one of their eggs. Guineas are the junkyard dog of the poultry world. They will not only protect the flock of meat chickens, ducks, and turkeys, but pull double duty eat bugs and ticks that want to dine on garden planted to feed the family or take to market.
Raising Guineas To Protect The Rest Of Your Poultry
Guineas are the most low-cost and low-maintenance breed of poultry in existence. Except during the harsh months of winter, you will likely never have to spend a cent on feed for the free-ranging flock. From sun up until sun down guineas wander around the homestead plucking all the spiders, ticks, locusts, beetles, wasps, flies, tadpoles, frogs, worms, snakes, potato beetles, snails, and even cockroaches they can find.
Endeared By Farmers
Come night time, the real hunt begins for the flock of guineas. They just love to attack mink – the number one killer of poultry flocks. When guineas discover a mink, or any predator, near their living area, they carry on something loud and fierce. A guinea flock will even take on rattlesnake or a copperhead, which has endeared them to ranchers across the country.
Sacrificial Lambs?
Many farmers refer to guineas as sacrificial lambs. The old timers did not place such a label on the unusual members of the poultry family to be cruel or cold-hearted, they were merely being brutally honest. When you invest in starting a flock of guineas, losing some – perhaps even many, is a downright given. But, what you won’t lose, are your meat chickens and ducks, breeding pairs of the same, and laying hens.
My Little Assassins
I prefer to refer to my flock of guineas as “my little assassins.” That is truly what they are after all. Nothing short of a fox, wild boar, or hawk willingly come back twice when faced with an angry flock of guineas. Even if your chicken coop is several acres away from the house, you WILL hear them when they get excited over finding a snake – think free big juicy steak to properly gauge a comparable human level of excitement. When you hear loud whistling, chirping, and clicking, the guinea flock has found something significant approaching them and/or the chicken coop.
Shelter
Guineas do not live in the chicken coop with the rest of the flock, but should be trained from the time the hatchlings are old enough to leave a brooder that the coop and run are their home base. Guineas roost in trees much like turkeys but should be provided a shelter of some type to get into during extremely poor weather. A three-sided hutch or shed will suit them just fine – especially if it faces south to help them stay as warm as possible.
Brooding Hatchlings
My brooder doubles as transitional housing for guinea hatchlings. Once they are old enough to go outside I put them in their former wood, chicken wire, and hardware cloth enclosure and sit it next to the coop. Guineas are smaller than typical farm poultry and can be squished by them or relentlessly pecked if intermingled.
The various flocks get to know each other this way and the guineas learn where their home base and protectees are located and will most often never stray too far away from the coop unless hunting for food and roost in nearby trees at night.
Raising Keets
The keets (young guineas or hatchlings) remain in their new enclosure until they are keets at least one month old, but typically two months old. Letting them free-range too soon will quickly zap the numbers of your flock, unless older guineas are also present to teach and help protect them. While the keets are in their outdoor enclosure I let them out in the late afternoon every day for at least a few hours even though their temporary habitat is spacious.
Guineas require a substantial amount of exercise for both their physical and mental well-being. Being “cooped up” tends to make them very testy. Lure them back before the sun sets with the shake of a feed bucket or a treat. This helps to train them to come back to the same area near the duck and chicken coop at nightfall to protect your meat and egg flock. They can snack on anything that is also safe for chicks and ducklings, but millet seems to be their favorite treat. Packages of millet run only a couple of dollars and are readily available in the bird section of the pet store. Simply plant the remains of a millet stick onto the compost pile and soon you will be growing your own guinea treats.
Protein Ratio
Guineas need a diet filled with more protein than chickens, ducks, and turkeys. They can survive and thrive on the same feed but flourish when fed a high protein diet to supplement their foraged meals when necessary. Keets should be offered a feed with about a 25% protein ratio. Once they are older the protein level can be reduced to about 18 to 20% and then a 16% layer mash once they are more mature birds.
Not Your Typical Farm Animal
Do not try to catch a guinea by one leg as many folks do with chickens. It will go into attack mode immediately and possibly break its beak trying to get free. Guineas love their freedom and can be tamed to a certain degree, especially if you raise them from hatchlings (many homesteaders purchase eggs from local or online hatcheries) and handle them frequently, but do not expect them to warm up to you as is common with many breeds of chickens and ducks.
Guineas will come running to you for a treat or a meal, which are the best ways to entice them to gather where you need them to be and to do a flock count. When raised among chickens and ducks, guineas tend to become a lot more tame than flocks raised isolated from more domesticated fowl.
Laying Eggs
There are a plethora of guinea varieties, many are quite beautiful in their own odd-looking sort of way. They typically lay eggs between March and May like other breeds of poultry after the hens reach about 25 to 30 weeks old. A healthy and average hen will usually lay about 100 eggs each year until she is at least five years old.
No Nest?
Guinea hens commonly lay their eggs in either the late morning or early afternoon hours. The hens typically lay their eggs on the floor of their hutch or the ground near their roosting spot and not in a nest. In all honesty, you probably won’t know your guineas has laid eggs until you see a string of hatchlings trailing along behind them.
Eggs
Guinea eggs are rather cute. They shells are a light shade of brown and speckled. The egg shells are a significant bit tougher than regular chicken eggs and have a sharper point on the rounded narrow end. Guinea eggs are smaller than chicken eggs. It usually takes three guinea eggs to equal the size of a standard chicken egg.
Identifying Male From Female
One guinea cock per every five hens is recommended – as long as the cock is no more than three years old fertile eggs should be readily produced. A cock and his harem of laying hens develop quite a tight bond and often run to each other like long-lost lovers in a cheesy romantic comedy when separated only a short while or by a small distance – it is quite a humorous sight to behold.
Guinea hens are typically quite fertile. Rarely do they cross-breed with free-ranging chickens. If the unusual does occur, the end result is most often a vulture-looking type creature that is infertile.
Sexing guineas based upon how they look is nearly impossible. Cocks are slightly larger than hens once they pass the keets stage, but it’s barely enough of a difference to notice. The red waddles on the neck of a cock are a little more vibrant and larger than the waddles on a hen – but again, it is quite a subtle difference.
Guinea hens make a two-syllable sound which some folks hear as “come back, come back” and others think sounds more like, “good luck, good luck.” Cocks prefer to make a one-syllable noise that sounds an awful lot like the buzz of a chainsaw or a repeated, “chi-chi-chi.” A guinea hen who is in an angry state can sound a lot like a cock, but cocks have never been known to make a two-syllable sound like a hen.
Survivalistboards shows us his guineas for when SHTF and the time he had to wait to get them:
What do you think about raising guineas? Let us know in the comments below.
Want another project to make your chicken-keeping easier? Check out here 10 Easy To Build Chicken Watering Stations to keep your flock well hydrated!
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Self Sufficiency
How To Make Lacto-Fermented Sauerkraut In A Mason Jar
The thing about homesteading is you get to create your own ingredient right from scratch! Cheese, yogurt, butter and now sauerkraut, a delightfully sour and crunchy ingredient you can use on your meals — or consume by itself — while on a homestead, or while facing this health crisis!
This homemade sauerkraut is a great meal because it has a long shelf life. You can either make plain sauerkraut or mix it with herbs and spices. In this tutorial let us make Lacto-fermented sauerkraut that preserves all the good probiotics in a jar, good for your guts.
So how to make sauerkraut in a mason jar?
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Delicious Sauerkraut Recipe Every Homesteader Should Know
Why Make Sauerkraut?
Not only does sauerkraut spoil a long time, but it is also a meal in itself, and it is also easy to make! You don’t need to be an expert cook, all you need to do is follow these simple steps.
So let us get started. Here are the steps in making sauerkraut in a mason jar.
Ingredients:
- 1 head of cabbage or 2 1/2 lbs cabbage
- 1 tablespoon of salt
Tools Needed:
- knife
- bowl
- mason jar
- smaller jar
- rubber band
Step 1: Wash & Clean the Tools & Ingredients
Wash all the equipment and utensils you need. Wash your hands too.
You don’t want to mix your sauerkraut with bad bacteria, anything that is going to make you sick.
Next, remove the faded leaves from your cabbage. Cut off the roots and the parts that don’t seem fresh.
Step 2: Cut the Cabbage Into Quarters & Slice Into Strips
Cut your cabbage into quarters and remove the core. Then, slice it into strips.
Step 3: Place in a Bowl & Sprinkle With Salt
Put the stripped cabbage into a bowl. Sprinkle the cabbage with 1 tablespoon of salt.
TIP: Use canning salt or sea salt. Iodized salt will make it taste different and may not ferment the cabbage.
RELATED: Homemade Yogurt Recipe
Step 4: Massage the Cabbage
Massage the cabbage for five minutes or more to get the juice out.
TIP: You’ll know it’s ready when you see a bit of juice at the bottom of the bowl and will look similar to coleslaw.
Step 5: Press Cabbage Into the Mason Jar
Add the cabbage to the mason jar gradually. Press it in hard to allow the juice to come out. Do this every time you add about a handful of cabbage.
IMPORTANT: Food should be covered by the liquid to promote fermentation. Add any excess liquid from the bowl to the jar.
Step 6: Press a Smaller Jar Into the Mason Jar
You want to squeeze every ounce of that juice from the cabbage. To do this place the mason jar in a bowl and get a smaller jar.
Fill it with water or marble to make it heavy. Press it into the bigger mason jar. Allow any juices to rise to the surface.
Step 7: Cover the Jars With Cloth & Tie With Rubber Band
Leave the small jar on. To keep your jars clean from annoying insects and irritating debris, cover your jars with a clean cloth. Then, use a rubber band to tie the cloth and the jars together, putting them in place.
Step 8: Set Aside & Check Daily
Set it aside in a cool dry place, away from direct sunlight. Check the water level daily. It should always be above the cabbage.
Step 9: Taste Your Sauerkraut & Keep at Cool Temperatures
After about five days, you can taste your sauerkraut. If the taste is to your liking, tightly cover it with the lid and store in the fridge or cellar.
NOTE: If after five days it’s still not your desired taste, leave it for a few more days. This will allow the fermentation process to continue.
You can now enjoy your sauerkraut in a mason jar. Enjoy its goodness! You can use it as a side dish or mix it with your favorite sandwich.
Things to Remember in Making Sauerkraut
- Store away from direct sunlight and drafts.
- Colder weather will make the process longer. Spring is the best time to make them since the warmth helps activate the fermentation.
- Always make sure that the cabbage is below the water level during the entire fermentation process.
- If the water level decreases during the fermentation process, you can make a brine and add it.
Let us watch this video from Kristina Seleshanko on how to make delicious Lacto-fermented sauerkraut in a mason jar!
So there you have it! Making Lacto-fermented sauerkraut in a mason jar is as easy as slicing the cabbage into strips. Remember that as long it remains unopened, your sauerkraut can last for months. Best of all, you can partner this sauerkraut in many recipes.
What do you think of this homemade recipe? Share your best sauerkraut recipe in the comments section below!
Fellow homesteaders, do you want to help others learn from your journey by becoming one of our original contributors? Write for us!
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Self Sufficiency
9 SPRING VEGETABLES FOR YOUR GARDEN
Having plants in the house will bring peace to people. Having a little garden with vegetables is even better! You can grow these vegetables in your backyard garden easily as well!
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In this article:
Growing veggies in your garden will give you an opportunity to understand what you eat and value it more. Early spring is when most vegetables are being planted. Keep reading to learn about 9 spring vegetables that anyone can grow in their garden!
Tomato
Tomato is the most popular garden vegetable in the States! There are different varieties to choose from. Tomatoes need to be planted in early spring because they won’t survive a frost.
Because tomatoes are consumed daily, try adding them to your garden! They’re not difficult to grow either.
Eggplant
Eggplants are known to have low-calorie, vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. Plus, they are delicious! So why not plant them in your garden?
Eggplants shouldn’t be planted too early because they won’t be able to survive a frost. So you could consult an expert in your area before you plant your eggplants.
Beets
Beets are known to be a superfood for its various health benefits. They’re easier to grow in the garden, usually around late March or early April.
If the weather is always cool, beets will keep getting bigger and bigger. Once the weather starts to warm up, you’ll need to harvest them, or they’ll go to waste.
Spinach
Spinach is a delicious early spring veggie, and it’s also very beneficial for health. And it’s not difficult to grow spinach in your garden!
Spinach needs cold weather to grow. Getting spinach to grow is easy, but keeping it growing will require some extra care.
Pea
Peas are usually planted in late April. Peas will die in freezing temperatures, but they also won’t survive the heat either. So make sure you plant your peas in early spring.
Peas are widely used in many different ways, and there are different types of peas. The soil you’ll be planting your peas should be suitable for them, so make sure you ask while buying seeds.
Carrot
There are different types of carrots, but regardless of their size and color, it’s a fact that carrots are both delicious and rich in vitamins.
They’re root vegetables, so with proper sun and watering, they can be picked up as baby carrots as well.
Radish
A radish is an excellent option for beginners because it doesn’t require too much care. Radish is easy to harvest.
Radish grows fast, so it’s better to keep an eye on it after a few weeks. Radish usually is grown pest-free, but there’s always the chance of unwanted guests, so watch out for worms. Radish can be eaten raw or can be added to garnish recipes.
Cauliflower
Cauliflower isn’t the easiest vegetable to grow at home, but it is very popular.
Cauliflower grows better in colder weather, so before you plant it, consider the climate of your garden. Cauliflower can be eaten raw or cooked, and it is known to be very beneficial for health.
Asparagus
Freshly picked, tender asparagus is very delicious!
Asparagus plants get more productive with each harvest, and mature asparagus harvest can last for months! Make sure you plant them at the correct time, or else they might go to waste.
All the vegetables listed above are great for your healthy diet, and it’s fun to watch them grow. So don’t miss out on the opportunity to grow your own veggies and eat healthy this spring!
So tell us which veggies will you be growing this spring? Tell us in the comments section!
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